What is Linux?

Linux is the most popular operating system (OS) used by Web hosting providers. This versatile and powerful alternative to Microsoft Windows is available in a variety of free, “freemium” and commercial iterations.

Many hosts - particularly shared hosting providers - default to Linux for hosting packages, so it's by far the market leader. It's also the operating system used by Google to run its vast banks of servers: more than 15,000 and counting.

Why Choose Linux for Hosting?

Many people buy web hosting without giving much thought to the technical details. If you have a low cost shared hosting plan, chances are it's provisioned on servers running Linux. You benefit because:

◉ It's secure, assuming it's kept updated, so you have fewer hacks to worry about
◉ You can use industry standard web hosting software, such as the popular cPanel control panel, so moving host is less disruptive
◉ It keeps costs down for the host, which allows them to pass on savings to you
◉ The way things work is pretty standard from host to host

In modern web hosting, Linux is configured according to the LAMP standard. LAMP stands for: